Flush ball guide



Jan. l0, 1956 L. w. scHNEPP PLUSH BALL sums:

Original Filed Ilay 21. 1951 INVENoR.

'Zou/s W CHA/EPP BY a@ A'rroRNe-M United States Patent" O Oginal No. 2,666,929, dated 1mm 26, 1954, No. 227,389, May 21, 1951. Application for reissue August 29, 195s, serial Nn. 531,301

Claims. (Cl. 4-57) Matter enclosed in heavy brackets [1 appears in the original patent but forms no part of this reissue specilicatlon; matter printed in italics indicates the additions made hy reissue.

My invention relates to a ush ball guide of the particular type disclosed in my copending application for patent filed March 13, 1951, Serial Number 215,-278 on Flush Ball Guides and the principal object of the present invention, is to generally improve upon the construction of the ball guide disclosed in the aforesaid application for patent and more particularly, to provide the ball valve pull rod, with a resilient bearing which eliminates practically all friction during normal operations and enables the ushing action to take place easily, positively and with minimum noise.

This application should be read in connection with the specification forming part of the application above identied.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, my invention consists in certain novel features of construction and arrangement of parts, hereinafter more fully described, and claimed and illustrated in the accompany ing drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of my improved liush valve guide;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is an elevational view, partly in section, of a modilied form of the resilient member which forms a guide for the pull rod of the ush valve.

Referring by numerals to the accompanying drawing which illustrates a preferred embodiment of my invention, designates the tank, 11 the outlet therefrom, said outlet being provided at its upper end with a seat 12 for the ball valve 14 of conventional shape, and provided at its lower end with the usual opening 15. This ball valve normally rests on seat 12 to close outlet 11.

Mounted for vertical adjustment on the overow pipe 16 and arranged directly above outlet 11 and the ball valve 14, is a cylinder 17 open at both ends and slightly larger than said ball valve.

Secured to the wall of this cylinder is a horizontally disposed clip 18, which is clamped upon the overflow pipe 16, and secured in such position by means of a clamping screw 19.

Thus, cylinder 17 is to be adjustably secured on the overflow pipe. Suitably secured to the upper edge of cylinder 17, on the side opposite from overow pipe 16, is a short upwardly and inwardly projecting finger 20 which serves in part, to limit the upward movement of the ball valve 14 in the cylinder 17.

Secured to the upper edge of cylinder 17, opposite linger, is the lower end of a clip 21 in the upper end of which is secured the lower end of a coil spring 22 of fairly small wire, which projects upwardly and inwardly toward a line drawn through the center of ball valve 14 and the cylinder 17.

Secured to the upper end of this wire coil is a clip 23, having a horizontal upper end in which is formed an aperture 24, and the pull rod 25 of the ball valve passes, with a fairly loose fit, through this aperture. Connected Re. 24,106 Reissues Jan. 1o, 195s ice to the upper end of said rod is the lower end of a rod 26, or chain, which is actuated by the trip lever of the tank assembly' with which the device is associated.

In operation, ball valve 14 rests on its seat 12 thereby closing the outlet 11 and when rod 25 is lifted by the trip lever, the ball valve 14 will be lifted from its seat to permit discharge of water from the tank into outlet 1l.

During this elevating movement of the ball valve, same is protected against turbulence of the out-going water and the coil 22 will give readily, to any lateral pressures which may be developed by said ball valve. Ball valve rests on the water until the level thereof reaches a point slightly below cylinder 17 and slightly above seat 12, whereupon the suction of the water acts upon the ball to quickly draw or snap same onto its seat, thereby cutting oi further ow of water from the tank.

By adjustment of the cylinder 17 on the overflow pipe 16, the quick closing action of the ball valve may be very accurately regulated.

The modied form of the support for the pull rod seen in Fig. 3 comprises a tube 27 of resilient plastic or other rubber like substance, the ends of which are pressed together and perforated as designated by 29 to receive an attaching screw and to serve as a bearing for pull rod 25.

Due to the ilexibility of the member 22 or 27, same may be liexed outward as shown by dotted lines, Fig. l, so as to permit the ball valve to be removed from cylinder 17.

Thus, it will be seen that I have provided a ush valve ball guide which is simple in structure, inexpensive of manufacture and very etective in performing the functions for which it is intended.

Minor changes in the size, form and construction ot my improved liush valve guide may be made and substituted for those herein shown and described without departing from the spirit of my invention, the scope of which is set forth in the appended claim.

I claim as my invention:

1. The combination with a ilush tank, its outlet pipe, its overow pipe, a ball valve which closes said outlet pipe and a pull rod attached to the upper end of said ball, of an open ended cylinder mounted for vertical adjustment on said overow pipe above said outlet pipe and said ball valve, a exible guide mounted on the upper portion of said cylinder and extending upwardly and inwardly from the wall of said cylinder and a bearing on the upper end of said exible guide for said pull rod.

2. A flush Vvalve for use in a tank provided with an opening, comprising: an outlet conduit adapted to discharge through said opening; a ball seat in said conduit; a ball for seating on said ball seat for closing said conduit; a rod attached to the ball and projecting from the upper portion thereof for lifting the ball from the seat so as to open the conduit; an overflow pipe rising to a level above said ball seat and discharging into the outlet beneath the valve seat so as to by-pass said seat; and a guide means for guiding the rise and fall of the ball comprising a Ilexible tube having an end which s pressed together and perforated to form an aperture for accommodating said rod, said guide means being mounted to said overflow pipe so that said aperture receives the rod above the ball.

3. A flush valve for use in a tank provided with an opening, comprising: an outlet conduit adapted to discharge through said opening; a ball seat in said conduit; a ball for seating on said ball seat for closing said conduit; a rod attached to the ball and projecting from the upper portion thereof for lifting the ball from the seat so as to open the conduit; an overflow pipe rising to a level above said ball seat and discharging into the outlet beneath the valve seat so as to by-pass said seat; and a guide means for guiding the rise and fall of the ball comprising a bearing in which said rod is slidable, and a flexible member attached to and supporting said bearing, said guide means being mounted to s aid overflow pipe so that said bearing receives the rod above the ball. 5 4. Apparatus according to claim 3 in which said flexi- 2,175,973 ble member is a spring 2,328,701 5. Apparatus according to claim 3 in which said /Iex- 2,440,389

ble member is a coil spring. 2,450,609

References Cited in the le of this patent lor the original patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Quinn July 9, 1918 Heath Sept. 20, 1938 Reed Oct. 10, 1939 Woodrum Sept. 7, 1943 Anderson Apr. 27, 1948 Phelps Oct. 5, 1948 

